Sarkozy has established the chillingly named Ministère de l'Immigration, de l'Intégration, de l'Identité nationale et du Codéveloppement..
Does this make immigration a ``national identity problem''? Ministries are set up to deal with problems. This ministry defines a problem and a solution. Is it a throw-back to ``the sombre years of France's past''. France's élite, from the President down, is admirably composed of the descendants of immigrants. Listen to Jean-Philippe Moinet and Patrick Weil debating with Alain Finkielkraut, whether it is time, as Finkielkraut asks, to ``recognise the singularity of today'' and ignore the terrible echoes of history in the new ministry.
tony curzon price 2007-09-05
